African leaders have urged faster delivery of climate commitments, greater access to finance and stronger support for adaptation ahead of COP31 in Türkiye….reports Africa Daily News Desk
African leaders have called for faster delivery of climate commitments, greater access to climate finance and stronger support for adaptation as the continent prepares a common position ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto, who coordinates the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), convened the committee at the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations in New York on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
The meeting focused on Africa’s priorities for COP31 and preparations for COP32, which will be hosted by Ethiopia in 2027.
Ruto said Africa’s climate agenda needed to move from commitments towards implementation, highlighting climate finance, adaptation, resilience, renewable energy, clean cooking and climate positive growth as key priorities.
He also called for commitments on adaptation finance to be translated into a credible delivery pathway and stressed the importance of investment in renewable energy, green industrialisation, sustainable infrastructure and resilient economies.
Ruto said the Nairobi and Addis Ababa Climate Declarations remained strategically important in positioning climate action as an opportunity for investment, economic transformation, job creation and sustainable development. He also called for a coordinated African position at COP31 and said COP32 should focus on adaptation, implementation, investment and climate positive growth.
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa continued to experience a disproportionate share of the impacts of climate change despite its historically limited contribution to global emissions.
He said Africa’s climate response should remain grounded in equity, climate justice and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Youssouf identified improved and accessible adaptation finance, support for addressing loss and damage, technology transfer, capacity building and just transition arrangements as key priorities ahead of COP31.
He also highlighted initiatives being advanced by AU member states, including regional power integration, renewable energy, clean cooking and climate resilient agriculture.
The AU Commission chairperson said climate ambitions needed to be matched by accessible, affordable and predictable finance while avoiding further pressure on African countries’ debt vulnerabilities.
Looking towards COP32 in Ethiopia, Youssouf reaffirmed the AU Commission’s intention to work with Ethiopia, member states and international partners to develop a unified African position and ensure the continent’s priorities and experiences are reflected in global climate discussions.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell also addressed the meeting and reaffirmed the UN climate body’s readiness to support African countries as they prepare for COP31 and COP32. He stressed the importance of sustained coordination, early engagement and coalition building.
COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, Türkiye, while preparations for COP32 in Ethiopia are already under way.
The African Union said the continent’s focus ahead of the two conferences would be on turning climate commitments into delivery, with adaptation, finance, investment and implementation at the centre of its agenda.
